New fire safe cigarettes could save lives

London Fire Brigade, amongst other bodies, have been campaigning for safer cigarettes for some time. Fires started by smoking materials still remain the top cause for domestic fires in the UK and it is believed that 800 fires a year in the London area alone are started by smoking materials.

The new standard will require cigarettes to be manufactured with thin strips placed at intervals along the length of the cigarette that will cause it to go out if not puffed by the smoker. Although this standard, which is hoped to come into effect by November 2011, is voluntary there is a section within it, ‘presumption of safety’, which will give Trading standards the power to remove any cigarettes that do not comply from sale.

Many US states already implement this standard and there has been a significant drop in the occurrence of fires caused by smoking material and also deaths since it began.